As students complete their exams and the university finalizes plans for its May 20th graduation ceremony, Penn's pro-Palestinian camp is growing.
A social media post by an account associated with Penn's campaign said Wednesday night's expansion was in response to “the administration's continued bad faith negotiations” over demands that the university cut funding to Israel. said.
Penn spokesman Steve Silverman declined to comment on activists' claims that the university was not negotiating in good faith.
For nearly two weeks, protesters have occupied the west side of the green space in front of College Hall, the oldest building on campus. After a march Wednesday night in which a large group of students and Philadelphia activists gathered in College Hall, protesters expanded their encampment to the east side of the green space to mark the boundaries of the protest space. The metal barrier that had been installed was moved. .
The Penn administration has taken a hands-off approach to encampments. But on Thursday afternoon, the university announced action against six students in connection with an “unauthorized encampment.”
In a statement posted on Penn's website, the university announced it had placed the student on a “mandatory temporary leave of absence” pending a “disciplinary investigation.”
Asked Thursday about the protests, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said it was “past time” for Penn's administration to remove the camps. “The situation at the University of Pennsylvania has become even more unstable and out of control over the past 24 hours,” he said. speak at an unrelated press conference Near Pittsburgh.
The governor, who does not have a vote on Penn's board of trustees, balked when asked if he would take independent action, saying the issue was best left to campus administrators and local police.
On Thursday, the scene around the encampment was quiet. Some demonstrators rested on a pedestal beneath the statue of Benjamin Franklin. Others walked around the camp with the head of Penn Fire and Emergency Services, who was inspecting the grounds for potential hazards. Outside the fence was a small group of police officers, university administrators, and pro-Israel counterprotesters.
Pennsylvania announced this week that it would begin special security measures, including a carry-on bag ban and “airport-style security screening.”